Remember back in Ben's rookie season when he beat the undefeated Asterisks and undefeated Iggles in back-to-back weeks? Those teams would go on to play each other in the Super Bowl that year, but Philly's first loss of the season in Pittsburgh was the start of T.O.'s downfall there. T.O. followed McNabb up and down the field trying to get in his face, but Donovan kept walking away from him. The dam may not have burst until the following season, but that game at Heinz was definitely the first crack.

Fast forward to T.O.'s next game in Heinz, this past weekend as a Cowboy. Up to this point, T.O. loved Romo, even when they lost (remember the teary-eyed proclamation of "that's my quarterback" after yet another in an endless string of Dallas playoff losses?). Although it did not happen as publicly on the sidelines of Heinz Field like last time, it looks like the Steelers will have a big hand in destroying yet another relationship between T.O. and his QB.

According to multiple sources within the Dallas Cowboys, there is an emerging internal conflict involving three of the team's highest-profile stars.

As the preseason Super Bowl favorites struggle in the final month of the season to simply make the playoffs, wide receiver Terrell Owens has expressed resentment toward Tony Romo, apparently jealous of the quarterback's relationship with tight end Jason Witten.

Owens feels that Romo and Witten -- close friends and road roommates who came to Dallas in the same offseason -- hold private meetings in which they create plays the two will use in upcoming games without including Owens in the conversations, according to a source who speaks regularly with Owens' teammates. Owens believes these discussions have worked to his detriment as Romo seeks to deliver the ball to Witten regardless of whether Owens is open.

"I don't know anything about that," Wade Phillips said when asked about a possible rift at his news conference on Thursday.

"We've thrown for a lot of yards with a lot of players. One receiver is pretty close to 1,000 yards. ... There's no favoritism there, we are going to the guy that is going to be open."

Owens declined to discuss the situation on Thursday outside the Cowboys' locker room. As he walked toward the players' lounge at Valley Ranch, ESPN asked Owens if he would answer questions and he said, "Nope.''

Linebacker Bradie James acknowledged to ESPN that his status as one of the team captains has caused him to play a peacemaker role between Romo and Owens.

"Whenever the fire gets blazing, I know,'' James said. "Sometimes, I don't want to step on anybody's toes, but we all talk.

"It just is what it is ... It's just two different guys, two different personalities and they know what's at stake. They know that everybody needs them. And there's no dislike. It's just sometimes, not everybody is going to see eye to eye. That's what makes a football team.''

A current Cowboys player compared Owens' behavior to that which led to problems with his former quarterbacks, Jeff Garcia in San Francisco and Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia. Those failed relationships and problems with the head coaches and other teammates led to Owens' exile from those teams and made him available to Dallas owner Jerry Jones in 2006.

"He's insecure about it,'' the player said of Owens. "The thing that bothers me more than anything about this problem is that it's always something with him -- San Fran, Philly and here; always something. And he brings other people into it. You know, he talks to Sam Hurd and Roy Williams, who just got here and doesn't really know these guys. TO talks to him and so now he probably thinks Witten politics with Tony for the ball.

"That's so far from the truth. You think Tony is throwing to him because that's his buddy? His best buddy is Bobby Carpenter, and that's not helping him too much. It's crazy to think that, and I hate that he acts that way.''

Witten leads the Cowboys with 64 receptions to 55 for Owens, who has a team-high 848 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. According to one of the sources, Owens cannot fathom how Romo and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett justify the tight end having more catches than does Owens even though the latter ranks among the most accomplished receivers in NFL history.

There has so far been no known confrontation between Romo and Owens, who have combined for 33 touchdowns since 2006, the most of any quarterback-receiver tandem in the NFL during that time. Romo has always been careful to make certain Owens felt appreciated so that he would compete hard and not cause the kind of upheaval he did with his previous teams.

But one teammate suggested Romo is frustrated enough that he might initiate a different approach, although not the confrontational kind that some believe might solve the problem.

"To be completely honest, I just think Tony is over it; not like, "Screw it.' But I think Tony is over the mind games,'' the player said. "It would help if Tony would stand up to him, but he would never do it. He does a great job of ignoring it and not letting it affect him, and that's why it has worked as good as it has. It's just hard. I think right now everybody is to the point where, "We're going to need him, so let's not piss him off.''

But Owens seems to be finding it increasingly difficult to conceal his irritation. Last week in Pittsburgh, on the first possession of the Cowboys' most important game of the season, a team source who reviewed the game tape said Romo threw an interception when Owens mysteriously failed to complete his route. Troy Polamalu intercepted the ball at the place where Romo expected Owens to be. Later in the half, Romo underthrew a pass for Owens that was intercepted by Ike Taylor and Owens gestured openly in Romo's direction as he walked toward the sideline that the ball should have been thrown further upfield.

But what upset Owens' teammates most of all was his response to the interception Romo threw on a pass intended for Witten that Deshea Townsend returned for the game-winning touchdown in a 20-13 defeat. Both the quarterback and tight end publicly accepted blame for the Cowboys' season-high fifth turnover. In contrast, Owens said the offense stunk, that the team can't win with turnovers like those and then suggested his defender was playing off in single coverage and that he was open but Romo decided to throw elsewhere on the fatal play.

On the sideline, Owens was seen yelling at a Cowboys assistant coach. In his press conference after the game, Owens implied that Romo's decision to throw to Witten was the wrong one, saying, "It's his job to go out there and assess what the defense is, and he made that decision.''

That incensed some Cowboys, one of whom said, "If you only knew all that guy does. It's gonna go down with him before it's all over with. He is unbelievable. Tough loss and he does that?''

Until then, Cowboys insiders considered Owens' most damaging behavior the interview he did with former Cowboys cornerback Deion Sanders on the NFL Network in which he suggested Dallas' offensive system under Garrett was responsible for his worst statistical season since his rookie year with the 49ers. Owens also hinted that Romo and the other Dallas quarterbacks who played when the starter was injured were not making getting him the ball a high enough priority. "I can't throw it and catch it,'' Owens said.

At least one prominent Cowboys player was displeased that the coaching staff responded to the criticism by seemingly placating Owens in that Sunday's game against San Francisco, allowing him enough opportunities that he posted his best statistical line as a Cowboy: seven catches for 213 yards, including 75-yard TD.

"Well, TO got his way,'' the player said. "It never fails how we operate around here. Drives me crazy, but what can you do?''

Phillips justified Owens' argument by agreeing that getting him the ball needed to be the first offensive priority, and then owner Jerry Jones further empowered him by claiming he had no issue with anything Owens said in the interview.

Said another source: "What do you think he said after he complained about not getting the ball and then in the San Francisco game he gets 213? He said, 'Look. It works. The more hell I raise, the more I get what I want.' ''

Owens in March signed a four-year contract extension worth $34 million, including a $12.9 million signing bonus to bind him to the Cowboys through the 2011 season.

When asked if Romo and Owens were all right together as the team prepares to play the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants on Sunday, James said, "Yeah. It's gotta be. It better be.''

The latest controversy comes toward the end of a season that began with Owens saying in training camp that he shared a relationship with Romo that he never had with other quarterbacks with whom he played. That, Owens said, was because Romo knew he was the star of the Cowboys and was not threatened by Owens' status as were previous quarterbacks.

"I guess sometimes I've just been in situations where the quarterbacks felt like I was bigger than them,'' Owens said in July. "And, you know, that was never the case. I felt like whatever I did complemented the quarterback, whatever he did, vice versa. It's just been a situation where things happen, where things didn't work out.''

Romo seemed equally at peace with Owens. "The thing about it is there's a genuine caring about each other. I actually want the guy to succeed. He works hard, he works his butt off. And he cares about the guys, so it's easy to root for a guy like that.

"It's important for us to be on the same page. It's important for us to care about the other one, just because our success is directly related. ... The thing you notice mostly about him is that he talks about 'team' a lot. He wants to win. He understands that, at this stage of his career, he's done all the things individually he can do. Now, it's just a matter of winning.''

Whether it is like that anymore -- and whether the Cowboys can achieve their own stated goals with the relationship between Owens and Romo and Witten being what it is now -- remains to be determined.

Since Romo became Dallas' starter, he has completed more passes to Witten than to Owens, 201-186, although Owens has significantly more yards and three times as many touchdowns.

"You really want to address it with him and say, "Are you serious? Let's cut the [sh--]. But we're trying to win our way into the playoffs and, if something like that happened, if you backed him into a corner, he'd be pissed off and try to fight you or something,'' the current Cowboys player said. "So what do you do? Let it go? Then you're just like everybody else. If he's got a problem and he's upset, clear the air. He should know that everything we do on offense goes through him."

Oh my, TO is crumbling again and ROMO is working on being a choke artist. I'm glad we contributed to their failures. Now let's work on Flacco.

mshifko

12-11-2008, 09:53 PM

the dude wants the ball, i cannot blame him...but he gets pissed at his QB's way too easy

SteelerNation1

12-12-2008, 12:52 AM

Oh my, TO is crumbling again and ROMO is working on being a choke artist. I'm glad we contributed to their failures. Now let's work on Flacco.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, we may need TO and Homo to beat the Ravens NEXT week. Ah screw it, we'll just take care of it ourselves!

Jooser

12-12-2008, 01:02 AM

It was great watching him melt down and throw one of his patented, bona fide temper tantrums last weekend at the end of the game on an assistant coach on the side line. You know it was coming because he wasn't getting the ball and Ike had him stymied and frustrated. What a head case. LMAO :lol:

rpmpit

12-12-2008, 09:27 AM

Oh my, TO is crumbling again and ROMO is working on being a choke artist. I'm glad we contributed to their failures. Now let's work on Flacco.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, we may need TO and Homo to beat the Ravens NEXT week. Ah screw it, we'll just take care of it ourselves!

Yeah, don't worry about that. We take care of business this week and then next week we can watch these two broken teams play to a 0-0 tie :twisted: :lol: :lol:

feltdizz

12-12-2008, 11:27 AM

Roy Williams is frustrated with the offense too...he said he doesn't know why he was brought in if they won't throw him the ball! Basically said he has accepted his role on the team....

Romo locks in on Witten way too much.... did anyone see Romo's last pass? Thrown to a streaking Witten who never turned around.

Romo is suspect... as much as I hate TO's ranting... I'll never forget what he did in the SB on a gimp leg. Dude is a playmaker... sure he has his games and issues.. but it's no different then if Ben stopped throwing to Holmes because they have had bad communication and a few INT's and dropped passes...

Romo sucks... and TO will always cry.. but he has shown..if you throw him the ball 8 to 10 times.. your chances of completions and big plays are pretty high.

Ghost

12-12-2008, 11:38 AM

While TO is certainly a playmaker, he also has plays he takes off, such as the Troy interception.

I've never understood why a player (O-line, LB, D-Line) - in San Fran or Philly didn't just beat the sh/t out ot TO when he was causing all the problems. Challenge him to thrown down or STFU. Let him know the team was sick of his crap. Maybe a good old fashioned pummeling would go along way to helping his attitude.

Jooser

12-12-2008, 12:18 PM

While TO is certainly a playmaker, he also has plays he takes off, such as the Troy interception.

I've never understood why a player (O-line, LB, D-Line) - in San Fran or Philly didn't just beat the sh/t out ot TO when he was causing all the problems. Challenge him to thrown down or STFU. Let him know the team was sick of his crap. Maybe a good old fashioned pummeling would go along way to helping his attitude.

Good thing TO never had James Harrison as a team mate. :lol:

feltdizz

12-12-2008, 01:01 PM

While TO is certainly a playmaker, he also has plays he takes off, such as the Troy interception.

I've never understood why a player (O-line, LB, D-Line) - in San Fran or Philly didn't just beat the sh/t out ot TO when he was causing all the problems. Challenge him to thrown down or STFU. Let him know the team was sick of his crap. Maybe a good old fashioned pummeling would go along way to helping his attitude.

Good thing TO never had James Harrison as a team mate. :lol:

A retired LB on Philly's team that still milled around the facilities said something bad to Owens or challenged him... while Owens was in the hot tub..

He jumps out , puts on his sneakers and they duke it out... from what I heard Owens got the better of him. Owens isn't a small guy... and he still a kid mentally... just mad about life...

papillon

12-12-2008, 01:05 PM

The problem everywhere that TO has played is that there was never really a strong leader on the team to keep his BS in check. If TO had played for the Patriots he wuoldn't say f**king crap to Tom Brady, James Harrison wouldn't allow it to happen on the Steelers and Peyton for the Colts.

The 49ers, Eagles and now the Cowboys don't have a personality strong enough to keep him in check, and, this is why his teams ultimateyl fail. McNabb was as close to making it happen as possible, but, in the end he ended being the butt of TOs comments about throwing up in the huddle, choking, etc.

I wouldn't want him on the Steelers, but, I doubt very seriosuly he'd get away with the shenanighans he pulls elsewhere.

James Harrison simply wouldn't allow it and neither would Mike Tomlin. And, because, of that, we don't ever have to worry about TO wearing a Steeler jersey. :Cheers :tt2

Yes Sir!

Pappy

proudpittsburgher

12-12-2008, 01:25 PM

What I don't get is why TO seems to get away with it. He cries like a little baby, and then there are plenty in the media and even on our message board who look past the plays taken off and the unprofessionalism and side with him. Enabling him just makes him worse. And I agree, there are plenty of teams in the NFL right now where his crap won't fly.

RuthlessBurgher

12-12-2008, 02:43 PM

While TO is certainly a playmaker, he also has plays he takes off, such as the Troy interception.

I've never understood why a player (O-line, LB, D-Line) - in San Fran or Philly didn't just beat the sh/t out ot TO when he was causing all the problems. Challenge him to thrown down or STFU. Let him know the team was sick of his crap. Maybe a good old fashioned pummeling would go along way to helping his attitude.

Probably because they heard the story about Michael Irvin stabbing a teammate in the neck who had the audacity to get his hair cut before Irvin. T.O. and Irvin are cut from the same cloth.

feltdizz

12-12-2008, 03:29 PM

Pap, I don' think McNabb had a chance in hell with Owens....

McNabb was the $100 million dollar man and real close with Andy Reid, who is the GM...

you can't win a locker room when you are attached to the GM at the hip and Owens has the locker room behind him. The problem with Philly was Owens deserved more money and Philly stood tough.. as great as Philly was all those years they were always a real WR from winning the big one...

but seriously... they are 8-5 and have a December Romo and they also have PacMan on their team. TO asking for the ball is the least of their problems...

If anything TO is actually taking the spotlight off of Romo, who had a horrible game.
Imagine if ESPN spent this week breaking down Romo's meltdown and his piss poor QB rating...

mshifko

12-12-2008, 06:14 PM

romo does go to witten too often in clutch situations when he is covered...

i'm on t.o.'s side with this dilemma, i think it's a matter of romo zeroing in a guy regardless of the play....it's no coincidence the defensive players are with t.o. as well...

romo is a joke of a leader, IMO...he doesn't have what it takes to be the best QB in the league, talentwise and intangible wise

papillon

12-13-2008, 04:21 AM

Pap, I don' think McNabb had a chance in hell with Owens....

McNabb was the $100 million dollar man and real close with Andy Reid, who is the GM...

you can't win a locker room when you are attached to the GM at the hip and Owens has the locker room behind him. The problem with Philly was Owens deserved more money and Philly stood tough.. as great as Philly was all those years they were always a real WR from winning the big one...

but seriously... they are 8-5 and have a December Romo and they also have PacMan on their team. TO asking for the ball is the least of their problems...

If anything TO is actually taking the spotlight off of Romo, who had a horrible game.
Imagine if ESPN spent this week breaking down Romo's meltdown and his piss poor QB rating...

Look now, the defense is taking sides with TO. I have to believe this will cause problems, we may not hear about them, but, it has to cause problems. If Romo is more comfotable throwing to Witten, so be it, TO needs to be quiet and run his routes and let the coaches point out Romo's mistakes.

Pappy

frankthetank1

12-13-2008, 12:05 PM

What I don't get is why TO seems to get away with it. He cries like a little baby, and then there are plenty in the media and even on our message board who look past the plays taken off and the unprofessionalism and side with him. Enabling him just makes him worse. And I agree, there are plenty of teams in the NFL right now where his crap won't fly.

i agree. how is to even suppose to know if he crosses a line? everything he does is acceppted. its an absolute joke. its funny to me that to cries about not getting the ball enough when i would bet he is in the top 10 of wr's in the drop category

Starlifter

12-13-2008, 01:09 PM

TO is a joke. The cowboys front office is a joke. wade phillips is a joke. Romo is a joke. America's team my a$$. they've had two periods of success. once in the 70's and once in the early 90's. the rest of the time they've been losers. The steelers occasionally have a losing season, but the vast majority of the time we are a consistent champion that is always in the hunt. when was Dallas's last playoff victory? sometime back when DVD players cost $1500 bucks? LMAO.....

now watch Romo the joke respond to the pressure. you think he was keying on witten too much? now watch how he tries to show that's not the case by keying on TO too much. Defenses are gonna have a field day with him. I predict another 3 picks this week.......

RuthlessBurgher

12-13-2008, 01:17 PM

when was Dallas's last playoff victory? sometime back when DVD players cost $1500 bucks? LMAO.....

:lol:

Available now at NFL Shop...the official DVD of the last Dallas playoff win...oh wait a minute...DVD's weren't invented yet when that happened. Nevermind. You can get it on LaserDisc or a Beta cassette, though. :lol:

Starlifter

12-13-2008, 01:31 PM

when was Dallas's last playoff victory? sometime back when DVD players cost $1500 bucks? LMAO.....

:lol:

Available now at NFL Shop...the official DVD of the last Dallas playoff win...oh wait a minute...DVD's weren't invented yet when that happened. Nevermind. You can get it on LaserDisc or a Beta cassette, though. :lol:

close but it's the bungles who haven't won a playoff game since the invention of DVD......... :bungalssuck .... :tt2